Ms Plibersek says it is hard to believe the meetings are not yet confirmed.

"This is extraordinary at a time when we're preparing to host world leaders in Brisbane in November for the G20 summit," she told reporters on Saturday.

"The G20 summit is the most important meeting, international meeting, that's ever been held on Australian soil."

She says Australians have to worry whether Mr Abbott will be "embarrassing us" on the world stage.

"We know that the head of the World Bank and the head of the IMF, and of course the US treasury secretary, are absolutely critically involved in preparations for the G20 Summit.

"It shows that our PM doesn't understand how important the G20 Summit is and it shows that he is not engaged, as he should be, in preparing to receive those world leaders in Australia."

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mr Abbott confirmed meetings with secretary of the US treasury, Jack Lew, and Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen.

"In the United States the Prime Minister has a very full program of formal talks with ... president Obama and other political, policy and business leaders focusing on how we can strengthen this extraordinarily important bilateral relationship," the spokesperson said.

The statement did not mention expected meetings with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, or World Bank president Jim Yong Kim, which reports in News Corp papers suggested were in doubt.

Treasurer Joe Hockey, who has previously met with leaders of the IMF, World Bank, US treasury, and US reserve, will hold further meetings in July.